Minnesota's Mallory Heyer intends to enter transfer portal

Minnesota senior forward Mallory Heyer will not be playing for the Gophers this season and intends to enter the transfer portal as a graduate transfer, she announced on Wednesday evening.

Heyer, a 6-1 post player for the Gophers from Chaska (MN), has spent the past three seasons with Minnesota in a starting role. Last season, she averaged 8.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 43% from the field. She led the Gophers in total rebounds with 290 boards.

Prior to her arrival at Minnesota, she was a four-star recruit, ranked No. 55 overall in the country on ESPN. She originally chose Minnesota over Iowa State, Utah, Iowa and Wisconsin.

She made her announcement on Wednesday evening via Instagram and X:

“Thank you Minnesota for the past 3 years,” she wrote. “I am forever grateful for the opportunity to represent my home state and wear Minnesota across my chest. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. For personal reasons, I will be closing this chapter of my career at Minnesota and entering the transfer portal to find a new home as a graduate transfer. God’s plan!”

Heyer will graduate from Minnesota in December and is aiming to enroll in a graduate program and begin practicing with her new team by January. She’ll play during the 2026-27 season.